Water Testing at MCS

On Sept. 6, 2016, New York became the first
state in the nation to require all public schools and BOCES to
test all sources of drinking water for lead. If a water outlet
is found to have a lead level above the state’s “action level”
of 15 parts per billion (ppb), a school district must:

- Take immediate steps to prohibit use of
the outlet for drinking or cooking purposes;
- Implement an appropriate remediation plan; and
- Ensure that students and staff have an adequate supply of
water for drinking and cooking while remedial steps are taken.

Full reports and letters for testing
results each
school building in our district are provided below.

On Dec. 14, 2016, MCS Business Manager
Terry Gillooley provided an update to the Board of Education on
water testing at the district,
which can be viewed online (PDF).

As you may be aware, on September 6, 2016,
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a new law that requires public schools
in New York to test all water outlets currently or potentially
used for drinking or cooking purposes for lead levels.

This letter is to inform you about our
water testing results at Middleburgh Elementary School, which
were completed on September 22, 2016, with the assistance of a
state-approved laboratory. Testing at Middleburgh Jr./Sr. High
School was completed on October 14, 2016, and we are currently
awaiting those results.

The state defined 15 parts per billion
(ppb) of lead as the action level for test results, meaning that
if any test result from a water outlet exceeds 15 ppb, schools
must take action to prevent these sources from being used for
drinking or cooking until the lead level is remediated.
Follow-up tests will be conducted on all water sources at or
above the action level to determine whether the results have
fallen below the action level.

A total of 127 water outlets were tested at
Middleburgh Elementary School. Of those outlets, 36 were found
to have lead levels meeting or exceeding the state-required
action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb). Out of these 36
samples that tested high, there were 13 drinking fountains (one
located outside the gym, twelve located inside classrooms) and
three sinks used in the cafeteria for food preparation.

The district was notified of the water
results on the afternoon of October 27, 2016, and the affected
water fountains and food preparation sinks have been taken out
of service. Other sinks and water sources testing high will be
clearly marked with signs that prohibit drinking. We will
perform additional tests in an effort to pinpoint the specific
source of lead in each of the affected outlets. These outlets
will remain offline and/or labeled until a remediation plan is
implemented and further testing indicates that lead levels are
below the action level.
Please be aware that in addition to several working water
fountains, there is also a water bottle filling station inside
the elementary school that can be used for drinking water.

We take these findings very seriously, and
we are working closely with the Health, Safety and Risk
Management Service at Capital Region BOCES to ensure that we can
continue to provide safe, healthy drinking water for our
students and staff. We will keep you informed as we move through
this process. Information about the risks associated with lead
and complete test results can be found on the
enclosed flier. If
you have any questions or concerns about these test results,
please contact the district office at (518) 827-3625.

As you may be aware, on September 6, 2016, Gov. Andrew Cuomo
signed a new law that requires public schools in New York to
test all water outlets currently or potentially used for
drinking or cooking purposes for lead levels.

This letter is to inform you about our water testing results at
Middleburgh Junior/Senior High School, which were completed on
October 14, 2016, with the assistance of a state-approved
laboratory.

The state defined 15 parts per billion (ppb) of lead as the
action level for test results, meaning that if any test result
from a water outlet exceeds 15 ppb, schools must take action to
prevent these sources from being used for drinking or cooking
until the lead level is remediated. Follow-up tests will be
conducted on all water sources at or above the action level to
determine whether the results have fallen below the action
level.

A total of 122 water outlets were tested at Middleburgh Jr./Sr.
High School. Of those outlets, 63 were found to have lead levels
meeting or exceeding the state-required action level of 15 parts
per billion (ppb). Out of the 63 samples that tested high, 44
are classroom utility sinks, 15 bathroom hand-washing sinks, two
kitchen sinks (one previously used to fill kettles and one
preparation sink that is not in use) and two sinks in an art
storage area that were not in active use prior to testing.

The district was notified of the water results on November 1 and
2, 2016. Water sources testing high will be clearly marked with
signs that prohibit drinking, and the district will perform
additional tests in an effort to pinpoint the specific source of
lead in each of the affected outlets. These outlets will remain
offline and/or labeled until a remediation plan is implemented
and further testing indicates that lead levels are below the
action level.

Please be aware that no drinking fountains or active food
preparation sinks in the school building met or exceeded the
action level of 15 ppb.

Water testing at Middleburgh Elementary School was completed in
September, and full test results are available online at
www.middleburghcsd.org/watertesting.cfm.
Full results for Middleburgh Jr./Sr. High School will also be
made available on this site.

Please know that we take these findings very seriously, and we
are working closely with the Health, Safety and Risk Management
Service at Capital Region BOCES to ensure that we can continue
to provide safe water for our students and staff. We will keep
you informed as we move through this process. Information about
the risks associated with lead and complete test results can be
found on the
enclosed flier. If you have any questions or
concerns about these test results, please contact the district
office at (518) 827-3625.

October 5th, 2017

As you may be aware, in September 2016, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a
new law that requires public schools in New York to test all water
currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking purposes for
lead levels.

The state defined 15 parts per billion (ppb) of lead as the action
level for test results, meaning that if any test result from a
water outlet exceeds 15 ppb, schools must take action to prevent
these sources from being used for drinking or cooking until the
lead level is remediated.

This letter is to update you that the district has taken
significant action to replace any remaining infrastructure that
returned results above the state-mandated action level of 15 ppb.
This summer the district has replaced twenty faucets, piping in
the Middleburgh Elementary School kitchen, and removed drinking
fountains in Middleburgh Elementary School. These actions were
done over the summer to disrupt school instruction as little as
possible.

Additional testing has shown that three sources of water remain
above the state-mandated action level. Two of these sources, an
elementary faculty bathroom sink and an elementary gym office
bathroom sink, are not used by students for water drinking or food
preparation. Both sites are clearly marked with signs that
prohibit drinking. The third source, three sinks in the
Middleburgh Elementary School kitchen, have not been used since
initial test results came back on October 27, 2016. Other sinks in
the kitchen that have tested below the action level have continued
to be used for food preparation. The piping in the kitchen has
been replaced, and the district is awaiting new test results. The
outlets that have tested above the state-mandated action level
will remain offline and/or labeled until a remediation plan is
completed and further testing shows that lead levels are below the
action level.

Please be aware that the district has provided four filtered water
bottle filling stations throughout the building.

The district takes these findings very seriously and continues to
work closely with the Health, Safety, and Risk Management Service
at Capital Region BOCES to ensure that we can continue to provide
safe and healthy drinking water for students and staff. We will
continue to keep you informed as we work through this process. If
you have any questions or concerns about this update, please
contact the district office at (518) 827-3625.

Sincerely,

Raymond Colucciello, Ed. D.
Interim Superintendent

November 1st

, 2017

As you may be aware, in September 2016, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed
a new law that requires public schools in New York to test all
water currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking
purposes for lead levels.

The state defined 15 parts per billion (ppb) of lead as the
action level for test results, meaning that if any test result
from a water outlet exceeds 15 ppb, schools must take action to
prevent these sources from being used for drinking or cooking
until the lead level is remediated.

As we told you in our previous update, the district has taken
significant action to replace any remaining infrastructure that
returned results above the state-mandated action level of 15
ppb. We have received results of new tests on sinks in the
Elementary School kitchen that were above the state-mandated
action level. Of the four sinks tested, two are now under the
action level and have been cleared for use. Two others remain
above the action-level. Neither of those sinks are used for food
preparation, and both are clearly marked with signs that
prohibit drinking. The outlets that have tested above the
state-mandated action level will remain offline and/or labeled
until a remediation plan is completed and further testing shows
that lead levels are below the action level.

Please be aware that the district has provided four filtered
water bottle filling stations throughout the building.

The district takes these findings very seriously and continues
to work closely with the Health, Safety, and Risk Management
Service at Capital Region BOCES to ensure that we can continue
to provide safe and healthy drinking water for students and
staff. We will continue to keep you informed as we work through
this process. If you have any questions or concerns about this
update, please contact the district office at (518) 827-3625.

Sincerely,

Raymond Colucciello, Ed. D.
Interim Superintendent

Lead-free Buildings

Lead-free, as defined by the federal Safe
Drinking Water Act, is based on the lead content of plumbing
materials. Federal laws enacted in 1986, and updated in 2011,
limit the amount of lead that can be used in new plumbing and
fixtures. A building can be deemed lead-free if it was built
after Jan. 4, 2014, or a New York State licensed Professional
Engineer or Architect certifies it to be lead-free. Under New
York’s new law, school districts are not required to conduct
water testing in buildings designated as lead-free. The district
has no buildings designated as lead-free, as defined by the
Federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

General FAQ

Why are school districts testing
for lead?

With heightened awareness of water quality
issues around the country, New York adopted these water testing
regulations to help ensure that children are protected from lead
exposure while in school. According to the state Department of
Health, lead is a common metal found in the environment, but it
is also a toxic material that can be harmful if ingested or
inhaled.

Although the primary source of lead
exposure for most children is lead-based paint, exposure can
also come from drinking water as a result of the lead content of
plumbing materials and source water. While federal law now
restricts the amount of lead used in new plumbing materials, the
corrosion of older plumbing and fixtures in many buildings can
cause lead to enter drinking water.

Where will districts test for lead?

Under the new state law, school districts
must collect samples to be tested from every possible source of
water used for drinking and cooking in any buildings that may be
occupied by students. These outlets include, but may
not be limited to, drinking fountains (both bubbler and
water-cooler types), kitchen sinks, classroom combination
sinks/drinking fountains, student restroom sinks and nurse’s
office sinks. To comply with the regulations, water samples must
be collected when water has been motionless for at least 8 hours
but no more than 18 hours.

When will I know the results of
water testing at my school?

That depends. While the state gave school
districts deadlines for the water sampling, it requires the
testing to be completed by a state-approved laboratory. So how
quickly a district receives the results depends upon how
quickly the lab can turn the samples around.

Once school districts receive the results,
if any outlets exceed the action level, districts are required
to notify all staff and parents/guardians in writing about the
test results within 10 business days. Within six weeks of
receiving the results, districts must post all results and any
remediation plans on their websites.

What happens if the lead level in
my child’s school exceeds the “action level”?

If test results show the lead concentration
of water at an outlet exceeds the action level, schools must
immediately prohibit the use of the outlet for drinking or
cooking purposes and implement a remediation plan, under the
guidance of the Department of Health, to address the issue. The
outlet may not be used until follow-up test results indicate
that lead levels are at or below the action level.

Are schools required to test for
lead in the future?

Schools will need to conduct water testing
again in 2020 and every five years thereafter, or sooner if
required by the state Commissioner of Health.